page_title: Locarno
section_title: Early Locarno
hierarchical_section_title: Locarno / History / Early Locarno
caption_attribution_description: English: Port of Locarno on Lake Maggiore (Ticino, Switzerland) Italiano: Locarno, Lago Maggiore
context_page_description: Locarno is a southern Swiss town and municipality in the district Locarno, located on the northern shore of Lake Maggiore at its northeastern tip in the canton of Ticino at the southern foot of the Swiss Alps. It has a population of about 16,000, and about 56,000 for the agglomeration of the same name including Ascona besides other municipalities.
  The town of Locarno is located on the northeastern part of Maggia's delta; across the river lies the town Ascona on the southwestern part of the delta.
  It is the 74th largest city in Switzerland by population and the third largest in the Ticino canton, after Lugano and Bellinzona.
  The official language of Locarno is Italian.
  The town is known for hosting the Locarno International Film Festival which takes place every year in August and involves open-air screenings at the main square, the Piazza Grande. It is also known for the Locarno Treaties, a series of European territorial agreements negotiated here in October 1925.
  In January 2004, the Italian historian Marino Vigano speculated that Locarno's castle may have been designed by Leonardo da Vinci.
context_section_description: Starting in the Lombard period (after 569), the area around Locarno (and presumably the town) was part of the county Stazzona and later the Mark of Lombardy.  Locarno is first mentioned in 807 as Leocarni. In German, it came to be known as Luggarus, Lucarius, Lucaris. It is likely that a market existed at or near the lake since the Roman era.  The long history of the town and its location led to the creation of a royal court, which is first mentioned in 866.  During the Middle Ages Locarno and Ascona formed a community, with several, separate neighborhoods.  The community managed its common goods (alpine pastures, pastures, forests, churches) and tax officials and police.
  In the 10th century, Bishop of Milan began to consolidate more and more power to himself at the expense of the Kings of the Germans.  This expansion by Milan was countered by Henry II, who incorporated Locarno in 1002/04 with the surrounding areas into the Diocese of Como. Friedrich Barbarossa granted extensive market rights to Locarno in 1164 and granted imperial immediacy in 1186. Due to these privileges, Locarno developed substantial local autonomy, which assisted the development of municipal institutions. The nobles (Nobili) lost more and more rights to the citizens (borghesi). By 1224, the borghesi had their own administration and various privileges, including: market rights, the right to their own weights, maintenance of mills and grazing rights in Saleggi, in Colmanicchio (Alp Vignasca) and in the Magadino and Quartino valleys.
  Locarno was the administrative center of the parish of Locarno.  The Podestà or high government official, resided in the Casa della Gallinazza, which was burned in 1260 during the clashes between the Guelphs and Ghibellines. Several Locarno families, including members of the Capitanei di Locarno and Simone da Orello, played an important role in the battles between the two factions. In 1342, Luchino and Giovanni Visconti conquered the area, which brought Locarno back under the power of Milan. In 1439, Count Franchino Rusca was awarded Locarno as a fief.
  In 1291, a Humiliati monastery was first mentioned in Locarno.  St. Catherine's church, attached to the monastery, probably dates to the mid-14th century.
caption: Harbor of Locarno. Trade along the lake allowed Locarno to flourish
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